Tables Turned
by Sarah A. Hawthorne
Summary: Katniss decides she can no longer handle Peeta. She and Gale start a life together and she soon finds out shocking news.
1. Chapter 1

The "star-crossed lovers" from District 12 are gone. At least she is; well _I _am. After the war, Peeta and I came back to 12 and had an argument. In fact, calling it an argument is definitely an understatement.

"I can't stay here, Katniss!" he yelled, his face turning red with anger.

"Why not?"

"Is it not _obvious_, Katniss? Everything I _loved_, including you, is here. My parents, my brothers, the bakery, the love of my life are all gone! Why should I stay when all I have is anguish?" he screams.

"You can go then, but don't count me in. Not living here is like watching Prim get reaped; I just can't do it. I would be leaving behind my life, whatever is left of my father, and Gale. And if you really loved me, you would know what was best for me, and that would be staying here." I say.

"Okay," he barks, "I guess this is goodbye then."

"I guess so," I reply, not knowing what else to say.

"Goodbye, Katniss. I guess I'll see you soon," he says, and I can tell by the tone in his voice that he is on the verge of crying, but he doesn't. Instead, he turns around on the ball of his foot and walks out the door, slamming the door behind him, leaving behind a noise so loud that practically all of Panem could hear it.

Peeta always told me that if he had to go back to 12, mourning would always surround him, and it would be like being tortured by the capitol; having the tracker-jacker venom stuck inside his veins, making him the Capitol's evil mutt. Speaking of which, the Capitol has elected a new president, President Undersee. Yes, she is Madge, the one who gave me the infamous Mockingjay pin that caused the revolution. Anyways, I always knew that girl was going to be big.

Back here in 12, I am overjoyed. Just a year and a half ago, Gale and I got married. We had our own ritual ceremony like we always have in 12 and later got married the "Capitol way." We are happily married and I await a baby that is due in just three months. We have been debating on names, but we are pretty sure we will be naming it Primrose if it is a girl, or Liam if it is a boy. I know, I know, I always said I would never have kids, but now that there is nothing to worry about (no games, no Snow, no Peacekeepers), we decided that we should start a family. I remember the day we talked about it; it was just a week after we got married.

"Gale," I whispered.

"Yes, Catnip," he said, looking at me with one of those sexy, seductive tell-me-what-you're-thinking looks.

"Well, would you ever… uh.. want to have kids? Maybe start a family?" He looked at me all funny, "Katniss, I've told you millions of times that I've wanted a little boy or girl by our sides, but its always been you that's objecting." He gave me a smile and pulled me over into his lap. My head rested on his thighs and he bent down, kissing me on the lips. I love the contour of his lips; fitting so perfectly with mine, as if they were made for each other. I felt his dark hair run through my finger tips, and I held his head so his lips would continue to stay pressed against mine. When he pulled back, I felt surprised and looked into his beautiful, gray Seam eyes. And right then and there he said, "I love you."

"I love you too," I said back, and soon enough, I was drifting into a deep sleep. That night I dreamt a dream that I often dream. It was when Gale and I were just hunting partners, nothing else. One night, months after the war had ended, before we were married, he came over for dinner. We ate a plump, rotund Turkey we snared together and Greasy Sae cooked for us as she usually did. It was a while after dinner and Greasy Sae had long left, when Gale was about to leave as well.

"Wait," I muttered.

"What?" Gale said, confused.

"Please.. stay," I mumble, "I can't take the nightmares."

"Okay," he said, "I'm always here for you if you need me, Catnip. _Always_ remember that, _okay_?" I changed into a nightgown and we snuggled together on my bed. I laid on the left and he on the right. I wrapped my arms around his waist and felt his warmth radiate into me. My hands slowly crept up his body, feeling his muscular chest, soft lips, and finally his soft, chocolate brown hair. Suddenly, his lips touched mine. I was shocked because I had no idea he was still awake, but I didn't let go of him. We lay there, our lips locked for minutes, until we are interrupted by his sleepy voice, "Katniss, I love you. You are the most beautiful girl I have ever laid my eyes on."

"Shhh…" I lull, my speech slurring, as I am tired too. "Don't stay up too late waiting for me to fall asleep because that will be of no use. Anyway, we have a big hunting day tomorrow, we have to get up early." He laughs and does not object, for he his asleep in a matter of minutes.

I remember that night among all the others in my life because that is the night I finally felt hope. I felt as if Gale and I finally had _something, _that we weren't just hunting partners, but more than that. And ever since the war, I was hoping that our relationship could be healed not by my mother's or Prim's hands, but my own. And that night, I healed the wounds between us.


	2. Chapter 2

As I lay in bed, my eyes make their way to Gale, who remains asleep. I snuggle up to him, my head resting on his chest. I feel and hear his heart beating. _Thump, thump, thump_… I see his eyes flutter open and he smiles. He reaches down and kissed my forehead.

"Good morning, beautiful, " he says, his voice still groggy. He sits up, and I do too.

"Lets get up, I'm hungry," I laugh.

"Aren't you always?" he joked. We got up and went downstairs. I opened the refrigerator and peeked in, looking what we could possibly eat. I then looked at Gale with one of those what-should-we-eat expressions. He shrugged and walked to the pantry, where I found some oatmeal. I took it out and motioned to Gale, "Want this?" He nodded and I took it out of the package, inspecting it closely. I never really liked packaged and processed food, but I guess oatmeal is an exception. When it was finally done, I poured the goop into two bowls and called Gale from the living room.

"Looks good, especially for you," he teased, while picking up his bowl and walking to the table. I gave him a glare although I knew he was just joking. He let out a laugh and I joined him at the table.

"What shall we do today?" I asked in a perfect Effie Trinket accent.

"Hmm… what shall we do?" he said in a response.

"Here, follow me," I gestured, putting both of our bowls in the sink and pointed to the stairs. We went up and I changed into my new everyday outfit, since I was pregnant- my hunting jacket, which didn't zip up over my belly, a long t-shirt, stretchy yoga pants, and my hunting boots. Gale dressed as well, looking handsome, as usual. I extended my arms out to him and pulled him in tight. I buried my nose into his shirt, smelling his masculine scent. He tried not to pull me in too tight because of my belly, but I just held him tighter.

"Come on, let's go get some game!" he yelled cheerfully. I kind of half skipped, half walked towards him, grabbing his hand. We then walked down the stairs and walked out the door, making sure that it was locked. Then we walked towards the fence that separated District 12 from a safe haven. I climbed under the hole and Gale did in suit. We went to out usual hunting spot and checked a few of the snares. We found a rabbit, two squirrels, and a turkey. I managed to shoot two birds, and soon enough we were making our way to the lake. When we got there, I saw some blue eyes that I knew all too well.

"Peeta! What are you doing here?" I yelled. I watched his tear filled eyes shoot up to mine.

"I've…I've been wait.. waiting for you," Peeta mumbled, his eyes looking down at my feet.

"Peeta, you need to get home," I said.

"Why should I go home? You're mine! He took you away from me. That. That monster, right there!" he sobbed, pointing at Gale.

"Please, Peeta," I said, "Here, lets go together." I pulled his hand into mine and let him rest his head on my chest. I looked back at Gale, motioning for him to stay and that I would be back. We walked back into town and down the path to the Victor's Village. I took out the key to his house and unlocked the door. I took his soft hands and pulled them up the stairs and into his bedroom.

"Why don't you love me the way I do?" he begged.

"Peeta, I never stopped loving you. We just grew far apart." I said, and didn't know what else to say, so I kissed him. When I pulled away, he looked at me, frazzled. He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off before he could speak.

"Shhh… Go to sleep. I will come over here and check up on you tomorrow. Okay?" I whispered and kissed him on the cheek. I then continued down the stairs and back into the woods. When I returned to the woods, I couldn't find Gale.

"Gale? Where are you?" I shouted.

"I'm right here," he said, his head between his knees. I kneeled down beside him and sat on the log he was on. I cupped his face in my hands and pulled his face so he was looking at me.

"What's wrong, my baby?" I groaned.

"Him. He called me a monster. Katniss, am I a monster?"

"Gale, honey, you are not a monster. Listen to me. You are the exact opposite of a monster. Why would you ever believe what he said? He was just saying it on impulse." I reassured him. He looked at me and I kissed him, not letting go for minutes. He held my face in his hands, while my hands drifted up to his silky hair. When I pulled back, I saw a tear roll down his face and before our lips met again, I said, "Gale, I never want to see you cry. It kills me."

When we decided to go back home, Gale pulled the sac of game over his shoulder and wrapped his other arm around my waist. Before heading home, we stopped at the Hob to trade some game. We returned home and it was time for dinner. Then we ate some leftovers from the night before. Finally, we headed upstairs into our bedroom. I changed into a nightgown and he changed into just a pair of pajama pants, leaving his chest bare. We jumped into bed and I lay on my back. He turned my head with his hand and locked his lips with mine. That's all I remember, but I could swear he said, "Never let go of me, Catnip." After that, I had drifted into a deep, deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

When I wake up, Gale is gone. I go downstairs, on a wild goose chase for him, when I realize what day it is._ Its Posy's birthday_, I think to myself. How could I have slept in? Why didn't he wake me up? I ask my self numerous questions before deciding it is of no use. So I quickly throw on some clothes and walk out the door. I go over to Hazelle's house, where Posy has been staying lately. When I walk in, Gale frowns at me and I pull him off to the side.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" I asked.

"You're pregnant, Katniss. You're not 16 anymore. I don't expect you to wake up at seven in the morning. I'm not mad," he replies.

"I really care about Posy and I feel bad for being late," I confess.

"Just go over there and say happy birthday. She's happy you even showed up at all," he whispered. And so I did. Hesitantly, I walked over to Posy.

"Hey, Happy Birthday! How old are you now, thirteen?" I joked.

"Katniss! Oh my, thank you so much for coming! And you are too funny, I'm turning twenty," she mumbled shyly.

"Oh, wow.. I remember when I was twenty. The days.. Stay young," I said. I gave her a tight squeeze and walked over to Gale, who was talking to Madge. I scowled when I saw the way he looked at her, his eyes not moving from hers. When he looked at me, he saw my expression and tried to explain.

"Katniss, we were talking about the Games and how she gave you the Mockingjay pin, nothing else," he said.

"Gale, how many times have I told you that I don't want to talk about the Games? And I saw the way you were looking at her!" I scoffed. I couldn't believe that he was looking at another woman like that when he had a wife and soon a young child to tend to. I just tried to convince myself that it was Madge's fault and I let go of it pretty loosely. And then it hit me. _Oh crap!_ I though. I forgot to go check up on Peeta.

"Hey, can I be excused for a few minutes? I'll be right back," I asked Gale. He nodded, probably because he knew that I was going to Peeta's house. I walked out and into the Victor's Village. I looked up and down the street, not a person around. When I got to his door, I felt as if I should knock, but I didn't. I just unlocked the door instead. When I walked in, I could tell Peeta had just baked some sort of banana bread because the delicious smell was spreading throughout the house. I looked around, but I didn't see him anywhere. "Peeta?" I called, but there was no response. "Peeta? Where are you?" I continued, but still, no response. I ran up and down the stairs about fifteen times and checked every nook and cranny of the room, but still there was no Peeta. When I walk around a corner and into a hall I hear chuckling. And I see those blue eyes again.

"Damn you, Peeta! You almost gave me a heart attack! What were you thinking?" I hollered.

"Calm down Katniss, I just wanted to pull a prank on you!" he laughed. I have to admit, now that I think about it, it was kinda funny, but at the time, it definitely was not.

"Alright," I mumbled, "how are you, today?"

"I'm doing alright. Here, want some banana bread?" he asked, sticking a plate full of the bread towards my face. I nodded. Besides, I was pregnant; I was _always_ hungry.

"Peeta, I'm sorry about.. you know.. everything," I said shyly.

"No. It's my fault. It wasn't meant to be. You were _meant_ to be with Gale. I was just too stubborn to realize it. I was so focused on taking you away from him that I never thought about what might happen," he replied.

"No, Peeta. I mean faking my love for you._ I_ was the one who was too focused on winning those stupid games-"

"Katniss. Please. I know that you were just trying to keep us both alive. I'm so sorry for calling Gale names and causing a scene. I'm sorry for the argument after the war_. I'm_ sorry for everything, " he said, cutting me off.

"I need to go. I think they'll be worrying about where I am," I said because I had nothing more to say without tears spilling over my eyes. So I set the plate in the sink, waved goodbye, and walked out the door. When I walked back to Posy's birthday party, I thought about everything that had just happened. I thought about Peeta apologizing and what I said. I was sorry. I knew what I had done to him was unspeakable; that no one would ever think about doing something like that, but it was to keep us both alive.

When I got there, it was time to leave. Gale and I both said our goodbyes and left. On our way home Gale asked, "What took you so long?"

"I'm sorry, we just got a little caught up in the past," I said, trying to hold back tears. And I could tell by the expression on Gale's face that he knew it. He knew what was going on in my mind when I didn't know myself. He knew if I was going to cry or laugh or scowl or scream, when I didn't myself. He then wrapped his arm tightly around my shoulders as we walked and kissed my cheek.

It was around 8:30 when we got home and we were already full from earlier, so we didn't eat. Instead, we went upstairs and climbed into bed. When we got settled, I felt a piercing pain. I let out a small cry and Gale was alarmed.

"Katniss, what's going on? Are you okay?" he implored.

"Get me…" I gasped for breath, "to a hos..pital." I felt my consciousness fading away and I saw Gale's crazed expression out of the corner of my eye. And all I remember is seeing a bunch of doctors and nurses surrounding me in a hospital.

"What.. what's going on?" I asked drearily.

"It's alright, Katniss. Only some minor complications," said a familiar voice.

"Mother? Is that you?" I beseeched. I hadn't seen my mother in… let's see… a few months, at the very least.

"Yes."

"What's going on? Please tell me!"

"You are eight and a half months pregnant, so you should feel contractions, but they are very dangerous, and we are going to have to deliver the baby very soon. No worries, everything will be fine and your baby will be alright." She was the only one of these doctors that I could trust, knowing that my baby will be okay. When Gale walks in, he kisses my forehead and that was all I remember because in just a matter of seconds I was out like a light.


End file.
